Golf: Back in the saddle

RBFC

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I played a lot of golf in my youth, and continued to play when I got married, as my wife loves the game too. After our second son was born, time and logistics got in the way and we went over a decade without playing. Last year we got back to it and have had such great fun! We both got fitted for clubs and are getting out at least once a week, usually twice.

Who else here is into this incredible, soul-crushing game?

Lee
 

JackD201

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Me! :D. The handicap has climbed but I'm still loving' it. Strong as your legs and core are you must be crushing it Lee :D.
 

mullard88

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I play golf, but I'm not a good player. I play for recreation and enjoyment of my friends' company; and, one good stroke is all I need to forward to the next round.
 

audioguy

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After a 30 year absence, I re-took up the game about a year ago. When I moved to Atlanta, tennis was the social sport so since I did not have time for family, job, golf and tennis, golf lost. I was about a 12 (ish) handicapper when I quit so I assumed, that when I went to the driving range the first time (30 years later), after a few buckets of balls I would be good to go. NOT :mad: Couldn't get the ball 6 inches off the ground. So between the muscle mass loss associated with age and not playing for so long, it was most frustrating.

I have taken a few lessons but progress is slow. I now play most every Friday with a bunch of guys from the neighborhood, and USUALLY, greatly enjoy the time. It still only takes a few good shots to keep me going back.

You stand on a tee and look at the fairway that is maybe 75 yards wide and a ball that is 1.5 inches wide. So how hard can it be to place that 1.5 inch object SOMEWHERE within the 2700 inch space? Seriously?????

Do you know why they call "Golf", "Golf"? Because "Oh Crap" was taken !!!
 
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RBFC

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Anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new TaylorMade woods. Already got the irons, and they're simply amazing. The M2 irons added about 20 yards to each club: hitting 9 iron 160 yards, 5 iron 210-215 now. Shot a 39 the other day and know I can do better. Get fitted for the woods on May 1, so should be good to go about the middle of the month.

Now if I can just learn to judge the feel/distance of putts......

Lee
 

mullard88

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That's a lot of distance. I believe those are the same distances pros hit with their clubs.
 

JackD201

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No. Maybe the LPGA outliers like Wie. The average for PGA players is around 150 for a 9, an LPGA player around 115. It should be noted that almost all of them typically use weaker lofts and that the average distance they achieve is from the swinging for control. Even the average PGA tour player should have no problems busting a 9 to close to or at 170.

While not based on Trackman data like above, I was just with JRo, one of the longer LPGA pros in her day, on the range yesterday. Our distance is about the same on good shots. Obviously she's got a lot more of those than I do! Her brother, A One Asia pro and a regular flight mate of ours is of average PGA distance. He outdrives me routinely by 30 yards at LEAST. On short par 3s he'll pull anything from a wedge to an 8 depending on wind for a 150 yarder. Jen and I pull anything from 8s to 6s.

Controlling speed takes practice but is not hard Lee. Get to a practice green when its empty and throw your ball out randomly different distances and directions from a hole instead of lining balls up and putting from one spot (that's for practicing your stroke). Pay attention to the sound of your impact and the way your ball decelerates or dies off. The sound is an oft neglected part of "feel". It's helpful for chips and pitches as well. Over time you'll have a mental database of what ballpark you should stroke it by looking at the day's stip reading.

I just switched from M1s and PSis to Epics and Apexes this week. Also went back to stiff shafts on my irons now that my left rotator cuff is okay. Shot an 84 from the Gold tees (6,950, tips are 7,200). My irons were hardly used LOL!
 

mauidan

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Aug 2, 2010
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Dear Jack,

I'm glad that Lee is back into golf and thinks that hitting his new M2 9 iron 160 yards is great.

I'm a lot older than you and Lee.

I didn't start playing golf until I moved to Maui in 1988, and started building and repairing clubs in 1992.

I hit my 8 iron 150 yards.

The loft on my 8 iron is 40 degrees (as checked on my calibrated Steel Club Loft and Lie machine), the loft on Lee's M2 9 iron is 38 degrees (see the link below*).

The loft on Lee's 5 iron is 21.5, my 5 iron is 28 degrees.

The shaft length on M2 irons is .5" to .75" longer then the older standards.

I remember back in the early 90's when the King Cobra irons came out and my golfing buddies would say I hit my PW so much further, well that's because the KC PW was 44 degrees, while older PWs were 48 degrees.

Guess what, now they had this big spread/gap between their 44 degree PW and their 56 degree SW, so KC's next big thing was the 50 degree Gap wedge. TaylorMade now calls it an AW.

So yes, the TM M2s are longer, but it's not magic.


*http://taylormadegolf.com/M2-Irons/DW-WZ682.html
 

JackD201

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True it's definitely not Dan. As you say the M2s have strong lofts like my Apex. The PSis have slightly less strong lofts but strong none the less compared to the TPs or Fourteen 930 Forged irons I used to use. I need distance more than I need playability these days so I went with the strong lofts with low CGI. I went with regular shafts for a while but ultimately I was starting to get lazy and picked up some bad habits. Spin rate was too high and playing in the wind which is Maui like here in the first quarter of the year was problematic. I've lost so much swing speed since 2005 when scar tissue on my right exterior obliques hampered my transition after a kidney operation. Hips firing half speed :(

You're still hitting those balls a long way Dan! My comfort zone for 150 is a stiff three quarter 7. I'll only pull an eight if I'm faced with a front tucked pin. I wish I had an extra 10MPH.
 

mullard88

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Given Lee's clubs are customized, is is prudent to presume that they have the same lofts as the stock heads?
 

Dimfer

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I used to be an avid golfer too, even with our very short golfing season, I played average of 100 for about 10 years. Back nine became a struggle due to arthritis in my spine and neck, lost my playing partner in 2006 and barely golfed since then.

Not a long hitter, but my longest drive was over 400 yds - strong wind behind us, ball landed on something hard and rolled forever

Like most avid golfers, I had gone through a lot of golf equipments, sold most of them and just kept my TaylorMade Super Steel Burner steel shafted irons, Orlimar Ti 300 driver and fairway woods, Titleist wedges and Scotty Cameron Studio Design putter.
 

JackD201

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Given Lee's clubs are customized, is is prudent to presume that they have the same lofts as the stock heads?

Hi Sam since TM M2s are cast and not forged the general rule is that the loft and lie can't be changed. Lee might get fitted for shafts and grips though. From pictures he's got big hands. Makes 9mm pistols look like toys.

I used to always have to get fitted when I used Japanese clubs. With US clubs I haven't had to adjust lie angle. It's probably because (aside from my waistline) I am perfectly average in height and limb length. There's one example of being born average turning out to be a really good thing! LOL :D
 

mauidan

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Aug 2, 2010
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Jack, I agree most casted clubs are hard to bend, especially 431 SS. 303 SS bend like forged clubs.

Don't know if you saw this:

Further improvements include a new thinner, wider, six-sided Fluted Hosel that saves 5 grams (compared to 3 in the original M2 iron), allowing for the repositioning of 2 grams of discretionary weight lower in the clubhead. The new hosel bend slot also allows for a 30% improvement in bending.

So, they might have adjusted the lies on Lee's clubs, but I doubt they changed the lofts, since it would effect the bounce. WZ682_zoom_D3.jpg
 

JackD201

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Cool! No I didn't see that Dan. Thanks :)
 

RBFC

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Dan,

Thanks for the face angle info. My clubs were adjusted for lie angle and the shafts chosen to match my strength & swing speed. While the face angle geometry certainly explains the added distance, I must say that the feel of these clubs is excellent and my percentage of well-hit shots is greatly improved. All upgrades aside, I (and my family) are once again enjoying the game!

Lee
 

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